Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong denied entry to Malaysia

He was refused entry at the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas after touching down at 11.55am on Tuesday.

He was scheduled to attend a forum titled 'The Uprising of Youth and New Social Activism in Singapore and Hong Kong' at Auditorium A in Komtar Tuesday night.

Forum organising committee member Chin Kae Min said Wong, who was one of the three speakers at the forum, was deported immediately on the next flight at 12.55am.

He said the Immigration personnel had withheld his passport upon his arrival here, without citing any reason.

He said the forum would continue despite the absence of Wong.

The 18-year-old student leader is said to have been scheduled to speak at forums in Penang, Ipoh, Johor and Petaling Jaya on June 3, the eve of the 26th anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre.

After hearing of that Wong was denied entry to Malaysia, NGO leaders took to Twitter to express thier views.

"Malaysia... explain why he is sent back to Hong Kong? Afraid of more street protests," tweeted Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah.

"Our government must grow up, don't be small minded - Joshua Wong is a pro democracy activist. Is that a crime to bar him from entering Malaysia," questioned civil liberties lawyer Eric Paulsen on Twitter.